Latest news with #CommunityRedevelopmentAgency
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boynton Beach moves closer to creating its very own downtown
Give the city of Boynton Beach credit. It finally has moved a critical downtown development project that had been stalled for almost eight years a big step closer to becoming reality. The city's Community Redevelopment Agency approved a plan to bring in a new developer to finish the Town Square Project, a development that will give the community something it has lacked for some time — a viable and potentially bustling downtown. For years, the city's $250 million effort to revitalize a four-block area off Boynton Beach and Seacrest boulevards has been left half finished and mired in legal proceedings. The project's government features — a new city hall and library complex, a children's museum, a cultural center and an outdoor amphitheater — were completed on time and had attracted residents and visitors with a promise of more to come. Unfortunately, the commercial side of the project that included office space, upscale restaurants, upscale condos and apartments, and a parking garage never materialized. That all changed earlier this month when the CRA approved a plan to use $35.2 million to build two eight-story buildings that would include almost 900 apartments, including workforce housing, 23,000 square feet of retail and parking — the missing but essential elements to build a thriving core community that has eluded Boynton Beach for years. It was not an easy decision, but the vote to move forward was the right call. More importantly, they made the decision the right way. They aired the proposal in public deliberations that at times had both the public and the city commissioners who serve as the CRA board going back and forth on the proposal's merits. Cost and the impact of development are always important considerations, but those conversations led to the right outcome — approval. Boynton Beach has had its challenges when it comes to downtown development. Much of the area's growth skirted the city itself, occurring in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The city's geographic disadvantage of having limited access to the ocean, along with a lack of leadership and resources, has made it difficult to fashion an attractive downtown. In 2018, the city came up with the Town Square project, a plan to build a downtown community around a new city hall and library. City officials found a developer and thought they were well on their way to revitalization. Three years later, half of the project was complete. The city could boast of a new city hall, library, children's museum and cultural center. The new plaza consistently drew crowds to cultural and music events at its amphitheater. Editorial: Florida's leaders need to craft a budget to avoid our own government shutdown Unfortunately, what remained undone was the private sector component of retail and residences that would have cemented the creation of a downtown Boynton Beach. The dispute with the initial developer dragged out in court and ended up costing the city because the 2018 agreement lacked a "reverter clause" that would have given the city the land back if the developer failed to meet its end of the bargain. Hopefully, the city has learned from that experience. City residents grappled with the idea of a new developer and a proposal calling for the city to come up with $35.2 million in tax incentives to start construction next summer. The financing plan prompted criticism of unwanted growth and traffic that would change the city into a smaller and more congested version of Fort Lauderdale. In the back of many minds, though, was the notion that the city had been here before, and it had with the previous developer. Editorial: With Trump's tariffs and federal cuts, Florida's tax plan comes at a bad time "This isn't a perfect situation. This isn't a perfect project," Commissioner Thomas Turkin said. "You know how I feel about the project in its entirety. You know how split and divided the residents are. But, I think if you look at this economically and you look at the metrics ... they don't pick sides. I'm not going to let perfect be the enemy of good." Boynton Beach now has the chance to develop a downtown that at the very least will generate new tax revenue and at most will become a new South Florida destination in the county's third-largest city. With so much promise on the line, the challenge for city officials is to ensure the final phase of development is completed without delay or drama. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: At last, a downtown Boynton Beach is closer to reality | Editorial
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pensacola mayor creates new position & program focused on quality, affordable child care
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves is launching a child care access program to expand child care options across the city. Reeves made the announcement May 8 as the city is preparing to host a child care summit on May 28 to develop policies to improve child care access. "Access to affordable, quality childcare is not just a family issue – it's an economic issue,' Reeves said. 'By aligning city resources and targeting available funding from the Escambia Children's Trust, we will build the kind of infrastructure to allow Pensacola families to thrive and our economy to grow.' Reeves said the city would seek to use funding from the Community Redevelopment Agency as well as the Escambia Children's Trust to tackle the issue. Improving child care access: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves to host a child care summit to find ways to expand access The program, which is officially called the "Mayor's Childcare Access Program" will prioritize: Supporting and expanding existing childcare centers in underserved areas, particularly within the CRA district. Providing direct grants and technical assistance to childcare providers to improve capacity, quality and workforce development. Partnering with local employers to incentivize on-site or subsidized childcare solutions. Connecting families with trusted childcare resources and streamlining access to available subsidies and scholarships Reeves has also created a new city position called the education and youth program officer and has hired Theresa Cserep for the role. Cserep has previously worked at the University of West Florida and the Florida Department of Children and Families. "Theresa's passion and expertise make her the ideal person to help us build a more supportive environment for Pensacola's youngest residents,' Reeves said. 'This is about investing in our future – starting with the very first years of life.' Reeves said that beyond the summit on May 28, the city can bring physical infrastructure to expand child care, like the Alice S. Williams Library, which the city is in the process of restoring, the old Baptist Hospital campus, and a commercial revitalization project planned in Brownsville. Reeves said he believes it's an important issue for the city to tackle because education and childcare are among the biggest reasons people decide where to live. "I grew up in this community with the understanding of why people live in other counties because of education, and this is something that doesn't have to just be, 'How we've always done it,'" Reeves said. "... We don't have to accept that. We can do the best that we can, and if increasing child care access makes it easier and more accessible for people to live in our city and to stay in our city, that's what we're looking at doing." This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves launches child care access program
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Lake Worth Beach candidates plan to tackle housing, utilities and more
Once one of Palm Beach County's most affordable places, even Lake Worth Beach has become a nightmare for renters and prospective homebuyers. Five City Commission candidates aim in Tuesday's election to tackle the city's cost of living, but with very different ideas on how. Commissioner Chris McVoy faces challenger Carla Blockson, chairwoman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. Commissioner Reinaldo Diaz faces two opponents: Realtor Greg Richter and businessman Anthony Segrich. They offer voters a variety of ideas for tackling expenses, including easing regulations on home construction, embracing solar energy and selling water from the city. McVoy faces Blockson to represent northwest Lake Worth Beach, District 2. Diaz, Richter and Segrich vie to represent the city's southeast, District 4. McVoy and Diaz are seeking reelection to their second and final consecutive three-year terms. If no candidate wins the majority of votes in the District 4 race, the top two vote-getters face off in a runoff election March 25. Commissioners can serve a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms. They are paid annual salaries of $24,500. Four commissioners are elected by voters in their districts, while the mayor is elected by voters citywide. The seats for mayor and the other two commissioners are not up for election this year. Polls will open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. To find your polling place, visit McVoy is seeking his second term as commissioner. He is an environmental scientist. Background: McVoy has worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of the Interior and at the South Florida Water Management District as a scientist researching the Everglades. He has a doctorate in soil physics from Cornell University. Now he is an environmental scientist with South Florida Engineering and Consulting. Public service: McVoy previously served as a city commissioner from 2010-17. He is a board member of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and Friends of the Everglades. Cost of living plans: Allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, also called 'mother-in-law cottagers' or 'granny flats,' on their properties. Supported citywide housing study, voted to declare 'housing crisis' in the city. Other priorities: Improve permitting, code enforcement, business inspections and street safety for pedestrians. Seek to build more electric vehicle charging stations. Lift the cap on solar power residents can use, which city officials passed in 2019. Campaign finances: McVoy had raised $11,472 as of Feb. 21. Website: Blockson, who faced McVoy in 2010 and 2021, is seeking for a third time to unseat him. She is chairwoman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, which aims to improve blighted parts of town. Background: Blockson has lived in the city since 1996, when her husband was selected as its fire chief. She has volunteered with civic groups and helped with efforts such as giving high school seniors safe havens to celebrate their graduations. Public service: Blockson has been chairwoman of the CRA since 2023 and has been a board member since 2021. She was appointed to the City Commission in December 2020 but lost the March 2021 election to McVoy. She is a member of the Electric Utility Advisory Board. Cost of living plans: Continue supporting CRA's efforts to build more houses and apartments. Since she joined it in 2021, the CRA has built 778 housing units — with 377 more under construction — she says. Other priorities: Public trust in elected leaders, increase investment in infrastructure, expand the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Police Athletic League program, have more officers meeting with neighborhood associations. Campaign finance: Blockson had raised $12,467 as of Feb. 21. Website: Commissioner Diaz is seeking his second term on the City Commission. Background: Born and raised in Lake Worth Beach, Diaz is a board member of the Everglades Coalition and Florida Wildlife Federation. He founded the nonprofit Lake Worth Waterkeeper, advocating for the Lake Worth Lagoon. Public Service: Diaz was elected in 2022 to the City Commission. Cost of living plans: Bring in experts to review the city's land regulations to see what can be changed. Voted to create a rate stabilization fund that uses money set aside to subsidize the city-owned electric utility when fuel costs spike so that those added costs are not passed onto customers. Other priorities: Review growth management policy regularly. Find a fair agreement with the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts project (WMODA), a proposed arts museum downtown that would include 110 apartments and a parking garage. Campaign finance: Diaz had raised $2,550 as of Feb. 21. Website: Richter is a Realtor running to unseat Diaz. Background: He has lived in Lake Worth Beach for seven years. Public service: Richter is president of the South Palmway Neighborhood Association. Cost of living plans: Speed up the permitting process so housing can be built faster. Look into selling water to other municipalities or the county so the costs of running the water utility are shared by more customers than Lake Worth Beach residents. Other priorities: Keep developing downtown. Build parking garage, apartments with the museum of decorative arts project downtown. Make code enforcement less frustrating for residents and business owners. Campaign finance: Richter had raised $18,530 as of Feb. 21. Website: Segrich is a former tech businessman best known for surviving a shark attack in 2011. He and his wife have since opened a shark-themed short-term vacation rental in Lake Worth Beach. Background: Segrich, who holds a computer science degree from Boston College, says he has helped companies such as Pepsi and National Semiconductor improve their operations and cut waste. Cost of living plans: Speed up development when the plan already conforms to what is allowed to be built on its land. Cut redundant building code regulations without sacrificing safety or efficiency. Speed up permitting of construction without sacrificing ecological protections. Limit impact fees, which make developers pay the city for the services the city must provide, such as water, police and firefighting. Other priorities: Audit the $88 million utility bond project approved in 2022. Bring down residents' utility bills by incentivizing installation and use of solar panels, and capturing and using rainwater to conserve water. Campaign finance: Segrich had raised $33,480 as of Feb. 21. Website: This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Lake Worth Beach candidates plan to tackle cost of living
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Panama City adds new signage downtown
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – There are new street signs at the corner of 5th Street and Grace Avenue right in front of the Panama City City Hall. It is part of the community redevelopment agency's newest revitalization project. The signage is black and gold, with an 'Art Deco' theme. The in-house city design workers were inspired by the Martin Theater. 'We decided to take that historic building. And because it is an artistic building and the downtown has got an artistic vibe, we decided to go with that one. And this was the end result,' Community Redevelopment Agency Program Manager Michelle Zirkle said. The CRA is investing $110,000 to put up 70 of the new street signs. They'll be located from 6th Street South to the marina, and in between the bridges on West Beach Drive, Tarpon Dock, and on 4th Street by the Bay County Courthouse. Florida State Board of immigration Enforcement held first meeting in Niceville Most will be installed in the next two weeks, but workers will be accommodating some of the other construction going on downtown. 'We do have a new infrastructure project with new water and sewer going on in parts of downtown. So those signs will be installed during that construction phase,' Panama City Commissioner Ward 1 Jenna Haligas said. The project will also include wayfinding signs, directing people to some of downtown's main buildings and points of interest. City officials hope the new signs will help attract more visitors to the downtown area. 'We're seeing so many younger people and children and families it's just a wonderful place to be. And we're just hoping it's just kind of, you know, adds to the placemaking that we've created downtown,' Haligas said. The city is also working on new lighting for McKenzie Park and the ongoing downtown marina projects. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
